Dredging apparatus.



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DRBDGING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 13, 1903.A

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110.139,3'82. PATIBNTBD SEPT.22,1903.

D. I'. BRBSLIN. DRBDGING APPARATUS.

4APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 190B.

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o. 739,382. Patented September 22, 1903.v v

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DENIsFaANcIs BRESLIN, or JOHANNESBURG, -TRANsvAAn D REDGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,382, dated September 22, 1903. Application filed July 13, 1903. Serial No. 165.300. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it mayvoncern:

Be it known that I, DENIS FRANcIs- BRES- LIN, a citizen of the United States, resid in gat Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa, hav" sand, mud, or the likeY which is immersed or `under water.

The apparatus may be Vused for theV purpose of removing the silts, shoals, or deposits to deepen the watercourse, with the object of maintaining or' rendering it navigable. It may also be readily adapted for dredging river-beds to recover auriferous or other deposits or for any other analagous purpose.

The invention consists, essentially, in the peculiar construction andarrangement hereinafter particularly described of what I may term the eroderfthat is to say, that part of the apparatus which operates directly upon thedeposit or spoil to eect the removal of the same-and, further, to the general construction and arrangement of the whole apparatus.

The invention will now be described in de- `tail'by aid of the accompanyingdrawings,

' low of the apparatus beingsupported and operated from both banks. of the course. Fig. 4 shows an arrangement of the apparatus for operating on a bar or shoal and operatedirom shore; and Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of the eroder, illustrating the construction of the same.

- Referring to the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,which arrangement is specially the requirements.

structed of suitable material and be of any suitable design and dimensions according to The several pontoons are connected by means of the removable bridging or gangways D.- In` some cases the intermediate pontoon B could be dispensed with and the pontoons A C only be used and be connected by means of the bridging or gangways D in the same manner, or any number of pontoons maybe arranged between the two end pontoons A C to meet any special requirements orvcircumstances.

laid or other suitable wire rope, around'which are arranged spiral metal plates or blades G, which form the continuous screw or helical blade H around the core. or blades G are made of spring-steel or other suitable metal which will give the requisite strength and fiexibility to permit the eroder to assume the requisite curvature when working. The ends of the adjacent spiral plates The metal plates or sections ofthe helical blade are bolted or 1 riveted together, asis indicated at h in Fig. 5. Each section ofthe spiral blade or screw H is fixed to the flexible core F by means of one or more of the clamps I. (See Fig. 5.) To obtain the maximum efficiency, the pitch of the helical blade or screw H is equal or approximately equal, to sixteen times the diam- 'eter of the ilexible core F. The eroder is suspended from the two end pontoons A C inv l side of the pontoon A are suitably fixed one or more pairs of slide-rails K, which form a guideway or guideways projecting outward from the end of the pontoon. In the slide'- rails is arrangeda platform 7c, which is capable of being traversed in the guideways longitudinally thereof by means of an adjustingscrew L, which works through a nut or internal screw-thread formed in the under side of the platform. On the platform is arranged an electric motor, engine, or other suitable means M for transmitting power to the eroder. Ou the outer extremity of the main shaft M of the motor or engine M is ixeda bevelwheel N.

On the under side of the travelingr platform 7c are formed or xed two brackets or hangers O, in which is journaled an obliquely-arranged driving-shaft P for the eroder. The shaft P is provided with thrust roller-bearings R, and on the extremity of said shaft is fixed a bevel-wheel n, which gears the bevelwheel N. The slide-rails K are stayed by means of two stays or braces 7c. One extremity of the flexible core F of the screw H is attached to the end of the shaft P by means of the coupling p. In the bottom of the pontoon A a recess is formed to accommodate the upper portion of the flexible core F of the screw H. The other end pontoon C serves to carry the mechanism for raising and lowering the eroder. It is constructed with one or more arched and tapered recesses c, in each of which is arranged a troughshaped collector h for the deposit or spoil raised by the eroder. The trough h is arranged around the eroder at the upper or delivery eud. The trough may be made in one or more sections, as may be most convenient, and the sections be joined to each other by a hinged or other suitable joint which will allow it to conform to any curvature of the eroder H and to allow of its being raised or lowered to varying depths.

On the upper extremity of the trough-collector h, beyond the end of the pontoon C, is formed or securely fixed a bracket c', which forms a support for the extremity of the eroder and spoil-collector. The bracket c' is capable of vertical adjustment on guide-rails at the side of the pontoon C. The vertical adjustment is obtained by means of the vertically-arranged square-threaded screw c2,

fixed to the bracket c', which screw c2 projects through a pedestal o3, carried by the pontoon, and is fitted with a nut or handwheel c4 for raising and lowering the screw c2, and with it the bracket c', trough or collector 7L, and eroder H. In the bracket c' is a horizontally-arranged square-threaded screw (l, which is connected with the end of the eroder by means of a swivel d'. The screw d is fitted with roller thrust-bearings d2 to take up the thrust and with a nut or hand-Wheel (Z3 for moving the screw horizontally in the bracket c' in either direction. Means are thus provided for effecting any desired adjustment of the eroder and spoil-collector in either a horizontal or vertical plane. The intermediate portion or section of the trough or spoil-collector h is supported and adjusted vertically by an arrangement comprising a screw e, which is attached at its lower end to the trough 7L by means of a chain and bail or bridge-piece e,spanning the top of the trough. The screw projects through a pedestal c2 and is tit-ted with the nut and hand-wheel e3 above the pedestal, which allows of the screw e be ing raised or lowered, as required. The lower portion or section of the trough h is supported and adjusted in a vertical plane by means of the bailf, spanning the top of the trough, and the chain f, attached to said bail. The chain f' is wound around the drum f2 of a winch carried by the pontoon C.

The eroders will be raised or lowered, as may be required, to correspond with variations in the tide in order to preserve a channel of uniform width throughout by means of the above-described arrangements, which may be manipulated by manual or other power. The eroder is preferably raised or lowered by the means controlled by the screw d when dredging. The three vertically-disposed adjusting-screws are used for lowering and raising the trough or spoil-collector to effect any requisite adjustment of the latter in relation to the eroder.

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawings I illustrate one eroder disposed centrally of the three pontoons A B O. Two other eroders may be employed arranged parallel with the one shown and be located at the sides of the several pontoons AB C, as is indicated by the chain-lines l l and 2 2 in Fig. 2. These additional eroders would be arranged, driven, and manipulated in a similar manner to that described. The two end pontoons A C are provided at the bottom and preferably at both sides with eroders S for providing a channel for continuously floating said pontoons, if required. These eroders S may be of the construction hereinbefor described, or they may be formed on a non-flexible straight bar or core. They may be driven from the bevel-gearing S by means of a separate motor or otherwise, as may be preferred.

The operation of the apparatus may be described as follows: The apparatus is first brought in position over the place where the dredging is required to be performed and the eroder (or eroders) is lowered to the botltom. The eroder is then rotated at a speed or velocity by the motor M through the bevelgearing N n, the shaft P, and coupling p, the swivel d' permitting the other extremity to revolve freely round its point of attachment with the screw H. This rapid rotation of the eroder agitates the surrounding water to such an extent that it assumes the nature of a vortex traveling parallel with the axis of the eroder, and all sand, mud, or the like lying within the influence of this vortex is disintegrated and carried along by the velocity of the water assisted by the eroder up IOC IIO

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the trough or spoil-collector and delivered further supported by the pontoon M3. l spoil is thrown by the eroder up the collector n ed for use on abaror shoal orin cases where it is considered unnecessary to lift the silt orA zo truck, T', the roller thrust-bearings and the means for manipulating the eroder and also the spoil-collector h. The spoil-collector is clear of the bank. In place of the trucks I may attach the eroder to guy-stays similarlyor otherwise conveniently placed on the banks. i

In Fig. 4 the apparatus is shown as adapt-Y spoil, but simply to' throw it at either side. In the arrangement illustrated two piles O lO2 are employed, to which one extremity of the y eroder is attached by the swivel connection The piles are driven in in a suitable position and connected bythe cross-bar 02, to the center of which bar the end ofthe eroder is connected to prevent the piles offering any .obstruction to the removal ofthe spoil The motor, engine, or othermeans oB for driving and manipulating the eroder is shown located on the bank Vor pier o4. This arrangement may be used in places where the water flows at a velocitysufcient to cause a scour or carry away the deposit or material.

vIn the two arrangements illustrated inFigs.

3 and 4 the extremity of the eroder is connected or coupledup with the main drivingshaft of the motor through the medium of a suitable coupling-piece o5..

From the foregoing description it'will be obvious that the eroder may be attached either to moving or stationary objects, as .the circumstances may suggest, to adapt the eroder terminal attachments and driving appliances to suit individual cases. i

screw, substantially as described.

Thev

What Iclaim as my invention, 'and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In dredging apparatus of the nature in'-l dicated the eroder comprising the iiexible core or center round which are secured sectional helical blades forming a exible continuous 2. In dredging-apparatus of the nature specified the yeroder or appliance for operating on the silt or deposit to remove the same, consisting of a exible core` or center round which are secured exible sectional helical plates or blades forming a continuous screw,

mately equal to sixteen times the diameter of the core, substantially as and for the purposes described. t

3.A In dredging apparatus of the nature indicated the combination with the eroder comprising a flexible core of cable-laid or other suitable wire rope,A round which core are secured flexible sectional helical plates orblades forming a continuous screw, of the spoil-collector arranged round the delivery end of ,saidv screw, and means for adjusting andinanipulating the eroder and spoil-collector, substantially as and for the purposes'described.

4. .In dredging apparatus of the nature indicatedthe combination with the eroder con'- hand in the presence of two subscribing wit-- DQSSOS.

DENIS FRANCIS BRESLIN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. OvENDALE,

R. OVENDALE. 

